Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the security situation in Afghanistan.

I refer the Hon. Member to the response the Minister of State, my noble Friend, the Rt Hon. the Baroness of Anelay of St Johns, gave in the other place on 26 September 2016, Official Report, House of Lords, HL1823.

We strongly condemn the recent attacks on places of worship in Afghanistan. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families. The security situation in Afghanistan remains challenging. We commend the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF)'s resilience over recent weeks in combating a series of determined insurgent assaults. The Taliban continue to expand their influence in some rural areas and increasingly threaten some provincial capitals. However, with significant international assistance the government has been able to expand their influence in some rural areas and government forces have repelled assaults on significant population centres.

Along with international partners, the UK is committed to helping Afghanistan build a peaceful, stable and prosperous Afghanistan. At the Warsaw Summit in July 2016, NATO agreed to sustain its non-combat "Train, Advise and Assist" mission (Resolute Support) through 2017. We are increasing the UK forces under RS command by 10 per cent. I attended the Brussels Conference on Afghanistan on 4 October, which was another strong signal of international resolve. At that conference, the UK pledged £750 million in development support to Afghanistan through until 2020. Ultimately, a political settlement offers the best prospect for an enduring peace. We urge the Taliban to join the political process and become part of a brighter future for Afghanistan.